Tent frame



Dec. 16, 194.7. B. s. FERGUSON l 2,432,620

TENT FRAME Filed Feb. 16, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTol f /frrop/v/Ey Dec. 16, 1947. B 5 FERGUSON 2,432,620

TENT FRAME Dec 16, 1947 B. s. FERGUSON 2,432,620

TENT FRAME Filed Feb. 1e, 1946 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented Dec. 16, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TENT FRAME Benjamin S. Ferguson, Dallas, Tex. Application February 16, 1946, VSerial No. 648,186

(Cl. 10S-'2) '7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a removable roof and more 'particularly to a removable roof used to enclose a space weather-tight under certain condition's.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a means of enclosing a space of assembly or storage during inclement weather, and yet permitting the space to be opened to the elements Within a few moments.

Another object of the invention is to suspend the roof in such a manner as to avoid interference and physical contact with the contents or occupants of the space so enclosed.

The aforementioned and other desirable objects may be attained by employing this invention which embraces, among other features, spaced parallel trackways disposed transversely to a building structure and in juxtapositioned relation to the sloping edge of a permanent roof member at each end of the structure, a narrow rigid roof member connecting the permanent roof members at their apices and being the point of juncture for a pair of flexible unitary canopies suspended by means of suitable cables in conu junction with rotatable drives placed in parallelism longitudinally of the building structure.

Still other features of accomplishment may be observed by lcareful study of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a building structure equipped with a removable roof embodying the features of this invention.

Figure 2 is a half-elevational transverse sectional view of a building structure with the roof extended.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view corresponding to Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevational sectional view taken on line 5 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side view shown partly in section to illustrate the manner in which the weather sealing Valances and side walls are weighted.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional View oi the parallel trackways attached to the permanent roof members illustrating the relative positions of the extended permanent roof, the flexible canopy, and the weather sealing valance.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of Figure 6, shown partly in section.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of the canopy, supporting ropes and transversely spaced strips encasing the ropes.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view taken on line 9 9 of Figure 3.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary side elevational view of one of the supporting wall members illustrating `the drive mechanism used in extending and retracting the ilexible canopy.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawings, a building structure designated generally l5 comprises side walls I6 and end walls il. Secured to opposite end walls and overlying a portion of the interior of the building structure for a comparatively short distance are permanent roof members I8 and i9 respectively, which slope downwardly from a point midway of each end wall toward the side walls I6 as may be readily understood upon reference to Figure l. Permanently erected supporting wall members 2l are held in a vertical position by cables 25 attached near the top of each member as at 2l) and securely anchored in the ground at some distance laterally from the base of the wall member 2l.

Extending longitudinally between the permanent roof members and attached thereto at a slightly lower elevation, a rigid catwalk 22 is suspended by means of cables 23 attached to wall members 2| opposite .point 20. In order to obtain more permanent security of the catwalk 22 another suspension cable 24 is attached to its lower edge and is secured to wall member 2l at point 26.

A stationary shaft 2'! is held in place beneath the center of the catwalk 22 by means of a bearing 28 attached to a channel 29 transversely disposed at intervals beneath and forming a portion of the .frame of the catwalk. Idler pulleys 30 and 3|, capable of free rotation on shaft 2T are placed in suitable positions to receive the continuous cables 32. A flexible roof member, or canopy designated generally 34, comprising a plurality of strips of canvas or other water resistant or water repellent material sewn together to form a unitary structure, is suspended from the eyes 35 in the cables 32 as will be more fully hereinafter explained.

Secured to the upper side of the flexible roof member 34 and in longitudinal alignment with the cable 32 are transversely spaced strips forming tubular members 3S through which suspension ropes 3l extend. Between adjacent ends of the tubular members 36 the suspension ropes 3T extend through the eyes 38 which allows free and unhampered movement of cable 32 Ain extending and retracting the flexible roof 34.

When the flexible roof 34 is retracted it will hang in festocns between the eyes 38 and in close proximity to the wall valance 39 which is an extension of the flexible roof 94. When the flexible roof 34 is fully extended it will lie in a plurality of trough-like roof members in parallel alignment with the slope of the permanent roof members I8 and I9.

A unitary rotatable shaft 43 extends longitudinally of the building structure in parallelism with the stationary shaft 21, and is made free for such rotation by the use of suitable bearings 4I attached to the wall members 2I as shown in Figures 3 and 10. The cable 32 is wound around the shaft 49 for the purpose of obtaining frictional traction to extend and retract the roof 34 when the prime mover or motor 33 is energized. The prime mover or motor 33 is of the reversible type and its power is transmitted to the rotatable shaft 49 by means of a chain and sprocket arrangement 5I as shown in Figure l0.

Referring to Figure 2, power transmitted from the motor 33 to the shaft 4l] in a manner to produce a counterclockwise rotation of shaft 4G causes the cable 32 to move in a similar manner allowing the exible roof 34 to assume a retracted position in close proximity to the wall valance 99 thereby revealing the interior of the building structure to overhead view. In like manner a clockwise rotation of the shaft 49 permits the flexible roof 34 to be drawn to the extended position indicated Figures 1, 2 and 3, thereby excluding the occupants or contents of the building structure I5 from the terrestrial elements.

Attached to the underside and at the outer edges of the catwalk 22 is a valance 42, the lower edge of which is provided with a relatively deep hem 43 for the reception of a weighting chain 44 by means of which the lower edge of the valance is retained in close proximity with the top of the flexible roof 34 when the roof is in the extended position, thereby permitting a more weathertight enclosure of the area within the building structure. A valance of similar construction is securely attached to the underside of the permanent roof members I8 and I9 in such a manner as to be retained in close 'proximity with the flexible roof member 34 when extended, thereby permitting a more weather-tight junction with the flexible roof.

The trackways 45 comprise semi-inverted channels with inwardly turned flanges extending longitudinally of and under the lower edges of the permanent roof members I8 and I9. Mounted for longitudinal movement within the trackways 45 are the wheels 45 of a plurality of carriages 41, each of which is provided with a depending suspension rod 4B terminating at its lower end in an eye 49. The trackways 45 are inclined up-wardly in substantially parallel alignment with the lnclined plane of the permanent roof members I8 and I9 previously mentioned.

The wall valance 39 previously described as being a portion of the flexible roof 34, is also provided with a relatively deep hem 43 for the reception of a weighting chain 44 by means of which the lower edge of the valance is retained against the permanent wall members ZI and within thek gutter 5D as illustrated in Figure 3. It is obvious that the valance 39 extends the full length of the flexible roof 34, thereby permitting of a substantially weather-tight enclosure of the area within the building structure when the `roof is extended.

Although in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that mnOI @1196mtions in the details of construction, material, or combination of parts for the purpose of obtaining substantially similar results may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. In a removable roof, spaced parallel trackways extending transversely of a building structure, a rigid roof member at each end of the building structure, a unitary flexible canopy, a plurality of vertical, longitudinally spaced canopy supporting members along each side of said building structure and extending above said rigid roof members, a horizontal shaft supported collectively by said mem-bers, on each side of said building structure, a parallel shaft between and above said first shafts, a plurality of inclined, endless cables operating on said shafts and supporting said canopy, a plurality of carriages movable longitudinally of each of said trackways, means on each carriage for attachment to and support of the ends of the canopy in substantially parallel alignment in their mutual relationship and with the plane of the rigid roof members.

2. In a removable roof, spaced parallel trackways extending transversely of a building structure, a rigidroof member at each end of the building structure supporting said trackways, a unitary flexible canopy, vertical, relatively spaced members on each side of and extending above said building structure, parallel shafts supported by said members, a plurality of inclined, endless cables on said shafts movably supporting said canopy, a plurality of carriages movable longitudinally of each trackway, and means on each carriage for attachment to and support of the ends of the canopy in substantially parallel alignment in their mutual relationship and with the plane of the rigid roof members.

3. In a. removable roof, spaced parallel trackways extending transversely of a building structure, a rigid roof member at each end of the building structure, a unitary iiexible canopy forming each side of said roof, vertical, horizontally spaced members on each side of said building structure, parallel shafts carried by said members, a shaft midway between and parallel with said rst shafts, a plurality of inclined, endless cables operable over said shafts, means for supporting said canopy from said cables, a plurality of carriages movable longitudinally of each of said trackways, a means on each carriage for attachment to and support of the ends of the canopy in substantially parallel alignment in their` mutual relationship and with the plane of the rigid roof member, a semi-rigid catwalk structure suspended from said vertical members and extending longitudinally of the building structure and adapted to overlie the juncture of said canopies ln closed position thereof, and a weighted valance of flexible material carried by said rigid roof member and by each side of the catwalk for contact with the flexible canopy when in an extended position whereby a weather-tight junction is effected at the point of contact.

4. In a removable roof, spaced parallel trackways extending transversely of a building structure7 a plurality of carriages movable longitudinally having permanent side wall supports spacer apart on each side of said building structure and extending above the same, a shaft carried by each group of said allel with said first shafts, endless cables operable on said shafts, a flexible canopy section covering each side of said roof and suspended by said supports, a shaft between and par-` cables, a plurality of carriages movable longitudinally of each of said trackways, means for attaching the ends of the canopy sections thereto, a rigid roof member at each end of the building structure, a semi-rigid catwalk structure suspended by said wall supports and extending longitudinally of the building structure to overlie the juncture of said canopy sections when closed, a weighted valance of flexible material carried by each rigid roof member and by each side of the catwalk for Contact Iwith the flexible canopy whereby a weather-tight junction is eiected between the exible canopy and all roof members, and a weighted valance of flexible material extending longitudinally of a building structure, the same being a continuation of the flexible canopy fixedly suspended at the point of juncture with the vertical side wall supports of the building structure thereby forming flexible side walls of the structure.

5. In a removable roof, spaced parallel trackways extending transversely of a building structure, a flexible canopy section comprising each side of said roof, vertical, horizontally spaced members on each side of said building structure, means carried by said members for movably supporting said canopy sections, a plurality of carriages movable longitudinally of each of said trackways, means for attaching ends of the said canopy sections thereto, a rigid roof member at each end of the building structure, a catwalk structure suspended from said vertical members and extending longitudinally of the building structure to overlie the confronting edges of said canopy sections, a weighted roof valance of ilexible material carried by each rigid roof member and by each side of the catwalk structure for contact with the flexible canopy, effecting thereby a water-tight junction at said points of contact, a weighted wall valance of flexible material extending longitudinally of a building structure and forming the side walls thereof, and a longitudinally extending gutter at each side of the building structure to receive the weighted portion of the side wall valance thereby effecting a weathertight union at their point of contact.

6. In a removable roof, spaced parallel trackways transversely disposed in a building structure, a plurality of carriages movable longitudinally of each trackway, a canopy comprising each side of said roof, a plurality of vertical members spaced apart on each side of said building structure from which said canopy sections are suspended, means for attaching said carriages to the ends of said canopy sections, a pair of rigid roof members forming the ends of the building structure, a partially suspended catwalk structure connecting the pair of rigid roof members and overlying the juxtapositioned edges of said canopy sections, a weighted valance of flexible material carried by each rigid roof member and by each side of the catwalk structure for contact With respective canopy sections, thereby effecting a weather-tight junction at said points of contact, a weighted valance of flexible material extending longitudinally of said building structure and forming the side walls thereof, a longitudinally extending gutter at each side of the building structure, a longitudinally extending rotatable shaft supported by said vertical members, a shaft beneath said catwalk, endless cables operating on said shafts and connected to said canopy sections and means for rotating said shafts for moving said canopy sections to open and closed positions.

7. In a removable roof, spaced parallel trackways transversely disposed in -a building structure, a plurality of carriages movable longitudinally of each trackway, a group of vertical, horizontally spaced members on each side of said building structure, a canopy section comprising each side of said roof, means for attaching said carriages to the ends of said canopy sections, a pair of rigid roof members forming the ends of the building structure, a catwalk suspended by said vertical members and connecting the pair of rigid roof members to overlie the juncture of said canopy sections, a weighted valance of flexible material carried by each rigid roof member and by each side of the catwalk structure, a weighted valance of flexible material extending longitudinally of said building structure, a longitudinally extending gutter at each side of said structure, a longitudinally extending rotatable shaft supported by said vertical members, a stationary shaft having idler pulleys and xedly attached at the mid-point of the underside of said catwalk and a plurality of endless operating cables movable around the rotatable shaft and upon the idler pulleys to which said canopy sections are attached for movement to open and closed positions.

BENJAMIN S. FERGUSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the `file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

